Personal information managers (PIMs) are tools that greatly enhance access to information required in various social and business activities. The personal information may include lists of important telephone numbers, scheduled events or meetings, addresses, important dates, things to be done, items to be purchased--in short, almost any type of data that might be needed by a person. To facilitate entry and storage of data into such tools, they are generally made sufficiently large to incorporate a QWERTY keyboard. However, including a full keyboard within a PIM results in a package that tends to be too large to be conveniently carried on one's person. Clearly, a smaller package and a different approach for entering the data are required if the device is to be readily accessible at all times. Any device that cannot easily be carried within a pocket, or attached to a person's body or clothing is likely to be left behind and will thus be unavailable when needed.
One solution to this problem that has already been developed is the Timex Corporation DATA LINK.TM. wristwatch. This wristwatch includes a microprocessor and non-volatile memory used to store data that can subsequently be recalled to appear on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of the watch. Data are entered on a personal computer, for example, using Microsoft Corporation's SCHEDULE+.TM. or Lotus' ORGANIZER.TM. personal scheduling software. To store selected data within the non-volatile memory of the wristwatch, an "export to DATA LINK.TM. wristwatch" feature is executed in the software running on the personal computer that causes lines on the computer display to flash in a manner that encodes the selected data. A sensor on the wristwatch detects the flashing lines on the computer monitor, and the data encoded and conveyed thereby are decoded and stored in the memory of the wristwatch for subsequent recall by the user.
While a wristwatch that stores data for access by a user is a significant step forward in making the data available when required, it has several limitations. The LCD of the watch is relatively small and only a few lines of text can be continuously displayed. Further, the memory of the wristwatch is also limited by size and cost restraints. Further, real editing of the data stored in the wristwatch is impractical. Unless the wristwatch is brought to the personal computer, the data stored in the memory of the watch cannot be changed.
What is required to achieve a better solution to the problem is a different type of package for a data management system that is sufficiently small to be readily transportable, but is capable of displaying more data, and includes additional functions that are not practical in the DATA LINK.TM. wristwatch. For example, it would be desirable to be able to execute simple software routines on the device. It would be desirable to be able to transmit the code required to implement the software routines to the device for storage in its memory, even when the device is not in the vicinity of a personal computer, just as it should be possible to remotely modify the other types of data stored by the device. Furthermore, while paging devices can typically be set by the user to provide either a visual, audio, or vibratory signal (or combination thereof) to notify that a page message has been received, it would be desirable to enable greater versatility in determining the manner in which a person using the device that stores personal information data is notified of a change in the data or of the receipt of page objects conveying other types of data. For example, if the data being transmitted relate to a schedule change to which the recipient must respond immediately, the user might prefer to be provided with a specific type of notification indicating that high priority data have been received by the device. In contrast, the user may prefer that information not requiring immediate action be sent with a different type of notification indicating that the recipient need not react immediately. It would also be desirable for the user to selectively enable the party sending a change in the data to determine the type of notification provided the user, or alternatively, to restrict the type of notification for a particular type of data received by the device.